Garment with adjustable features

ABSTRACT

Aspects herein are directed to an all-weather garment that includes a set of features that can be adjusted or manipulated to provide varying levels of warmth and/or protection from the elements enabling the garment to be worn over a wide range of weather and/or temperature conditions. In one example aspect, the garment may include one or more removable thermal insulation inserts. The inserts may be positioned within pockets positioned on the inner-facing surface of the garment when additional warmth and/or insulation is needed. When no longer needed, the inserts can be removed, folded, and stowed within, for instance, a detachable pocket structure located on the garment until needed again.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application, having attorney docket number 356499/200036US02 andtitled “Garment with Adjustable Features,” claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. Prov. App. No. 63/020,697, filed May 6, 2020, andtitled “Garment with Adjustable Features.” The entirety of theaforementioned application is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects herein are directed to garments with adjustable featuresincluding removable thermal insulation inserts.

BACKGROUND

Traditional all-weather garments generally have a set of static featuresthat provide a fixed level of warmth and/or protection from theelements. While this may be suitable when a wearer is at rest, theoptions for when the wearer begins exercising are to remove theall-weather garment which may expose the wearer to cold temperatures, orcontinue wearing the all-weather garment which may cause the wearer tooverheat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of aspects herein are described in detail below with referenceto the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an example upper-body garment withadjustable features in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of the example upper-body garment of FIG.1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the example upper-body garment of FIG.1 with a sleeve in a raised position in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of an inner-facing surface of the exampleupper-body garment of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates an isolated view of a thermal insulation insert inaccordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section view of the thermal insulation insertof FIG. 5 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 7 illustrates the thermal insulation insert of FIG. 5 in a foldedor rolled configuration in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 8 illustrates a wearer decoupling a sleeve from the exampleupper-body garment of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 9 illustrates the wearer storing the decoupled sleeve in a pocketlocated at a side portion of the upper-body garment of FIG. 1 inaccordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 10 illustrates the wearer decoupling a hood from the exampleupper-body garment of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 11 illustrates the wearer positioning the hood in a pocket locatedon the inner-facing surface of the example upper-body garment of FIG. 1in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 12 illustrates the wearer removing a thermal insulation insert froma pocket located on the inner-facing surface of the example upper-bodygarment of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 13 illustrates the wearer folding the removed thermal insulationinsert in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 14 illustrates the wearer stowing the folded thermal insulationinsert in a removable pocket located on a front aspect of the exampleupper-body garment of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 15 illustrates the wearer removing the pocket containing the stowedthermal insulation insert in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 16 illustrates the wearer opening a vent structure located at acentral back portion of the example upper-body garment of FIG. 1 inaccordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 17 illustrates the wearer stowing the example upper-body garment ofFIG. 1 in a pocket located on the garment in accordance with aspectsherein;

FIG. 18 illustrates the pocket containing the stowed garment of FIG. 17in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 19 illustrates an example lower-body garment having removablethermal insulation inserts in accordance with aspects herein; and

FIG. 20 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of using agarment having removable thermal insulation inserts in accordance withaspects herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of thisdisclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed ordisclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, toinclude different steps or combinations of steps similar to the onesdescribed in this document, in conjunction with other present or futuretechnologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” mightbe used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, theterms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order amongor between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when theorder of individual steps is explicitly stated.

Traditional all-weather garments generally have a set of static featuresthat provide a fixed level of insulation and/or protection from theelements. While this may be suitable when a wearer is at rest, theoptions for when the wearer begins exercising are to remove theall-weather garment which may expose the wearer to cold temperatures, orcontinue wearing the all-weather garment which may cause the wearer tooverheat. Aspects herein are directed to an all-weather garment thatincludes a set of features that can be adjusted or manipulated toprovide varying levels of warmth and/or protection from the elementsenabling the garment to be worn over a wide range of weather and/ortemperature conditions. In one example aspect, the garment may includeone or more removable thermal insulation inserts. The inserts may bepositioned within pockets located on the inner-facing surface of thegarment when additional warmth and/or insulation is needed. When nolonger needed, the inserts can be removed, folded, and stowed within,for instance, an optional detachable pocket structure located on thegarment until needed again.

It is contemplated herein that the all-weather garment may take the formof an upper-body garment such as a jacket or coat. In this aspect,additional features that can be adjusted or manipulated include a hoodthat can be partially detached from a torso portion of the upper-bodygarment and stowed within a pocket located adjacent to a neck opening ofthe torso portion. The ability to stow the hood when not in use, asopposed to letting the hood hang freely may minimize distractions whenthe wearer is exercising. Additionally, configuring the hood to bepartially detached, instead of fully detached, prevents inadvertentmisplacement of the hood. The all-weather garment also includes sleevesthat can be partially unzipped from the torso portion and stowed withinpockets located inferior to the sleeve openings and positioned on anouter-facing surface of the garment. Similar to the hood, configuringthe sleeves to be partially detached, instead of fully detached,prevents inadvertent misplacement of the sleeves. As well, positioningthe pockets used to stow the sleeves on an outer-facing surface of thegarment prevents the sleeves from contacting the wearer when stowedwhich may be useful if the sleeves are wet from precipitation. Yetanother feature is a vent structure that can be opened and closed and islocated at a central back region of the upper-body garment. The centralback region of a wearer is known to be a high heat producing area basedon, for example, heat and/or sweat maps of human bodies, so positioninga vent structure in this location facilitates the rapid removal of heatgenerated by the wearer. When the wearer no longer needs the protectionand/or warmth of the upper-body garment, the garment can be folded andstowed within a pocket located on the garment. Each of these featurescan be used alone or in various combinations to provide an optimal levelof protection and/or warmth to the wearer.

The term “garment” as used throughout this disclosure may encompass, forexample an upper-body garment (e.g., jacket, coat, pullover, shirt,vest, and the like) or a lower-body garment (e.g., short, pant, legging,capri, and the like). Positional terms used when describing the garmentsuch as front, back, sides, inner-facing surface, outer-facing surface,upper or superior, lower or inferior, and the like are with respect tothe garment being worn as intended by a wearer standing upright. Assuch, the front of an upper-body garment is configured to cover a frontupper torso area and/or front arm areas of a wearer, and the front of alower-body garment is configured to cover a front lower torso area andfront leg areas of a wearer. The back of the upper-body garment isconfigured to cover a back upper torso area and/or back arm areas of awearer, and the back of the lower-body garment is configured to cover aback lower torso area and back leg areas of a wearer. The sides of theupper-body garment are configured to cover side torso areas of a wearer,and the sides of the lower-body garment are configured to cover thelateral sides of a wearer's legs. The inner-facing surface of a garmentis configured to be positioned facing toward a wearer's body surface,and the outer-facing surface of the garment is configured to face awayfrom the inner-facing surface of the garment and toward an externalenvironment. The term “innermost-facing layer” means the layer of agarment that is positioned closest to a wearer's body surface comparedto other layers of the garment when the garment is in an as-wornconfiguration. The term “outermost-facing layer” means the layer of agarment that is positioned to be in direct contact with the externalenvironment and/or is furthest away from the wearer's body surfacecompared to other layers of the garment. The term upper or superiormeans located closer to a neck opening of an upper-body garment or awaist opening of a lower-body garment. The term lower or inferior meanslocated closer to a waist opening of an upper-body garment or legopenings of a lower-body garment.

The term “thermally insulating fill material” encompasses materials usedto provide insulation and may include down, loose fibers includingnatural fibers and/or synthetic (e.g., polyester) fibers, nonwovensheets including sheets formed from natural fibers and/or syntheticfibers, fluids such as air, gas, or liquids, and the like. The term“removably coupled” as used herein means the ability of a structure tobe repeatedly coupled to and decoupled from another structure. The term“removably attached” as used herein means the ability of a structure tobe repeatedly attached and detached from another structure usingtechnologies such as hook-and-loop fasteners, slider mechanisms,releasable adhesives, snaps, buttons, and the like. The term “reversibleclosure mechanism” as used herein mean a structure, such as a zipper orother type of slider mechanism, that can be used to repeatedly open andclose another structure such as, for example, a pocket. The term“removably position” means the ability to repeatedly position and removea structure, such as a thermal insulation insert, from another structuresuch as a pocket. The term “about” as used herein means within ±10% ofan indicated value.

Unless otherwise noted, all measurements provided herein are measuredwhen the garment is at standard ambient temperature and pressure (25degrees Celsius or 298.15 K and 1 bar) and is in a resting (e.g.,un-stretched) state.

FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively depict front and back views of an exampleupper-body garment 100 having adjustable features. The upper-bodygarment 100 is shown in the form of a jacket or coat, but it iscontemplated herein that the upper-body garment 100 may also be in theform of a shirt, a pullover, a vest, and the like. In example aspects,one or more textile layers of the garment 100 may be formed from a wovenmaterial. For example, an outer-facing textile layer including anoutermost-facing textile layer of the garment 100 may be formed of atightly woven material to impart a degree of wind resistance to thegarment 100. In some aspects, the woven material may havewater-resistant or water-repellant features based on, for example, theapplication of a durable water repellant (DWR) finish to the wovenmaterial. It is contemplated herein that the garment 100 may be formedfrom other types of textiles including knit layers, nonwoven layers,mesh layers, and the like.

The garment 100 includes a front torso portion 110 (shown in FIG. 1) anda back torso portion 112 (shown in FIG. 2) that together define a neckopening 114 to which a hood 115 extends, and a waist opening 116opposite the neck opening 114. The garment 100 further includes a firstsleeve 118 and a second sleeve 120. The front torso portion 110, inexample aspects, may include a front right torso portion 110 a and afront left torso portion 110 b that are reversibly coupled to each otherusing, for instance, a closure mechanism 122 such as a zipper.

With respect to FIG. 1, the garment 100 may further include a pocket 124located on an upper aspect of the front right torso portion 110 a. Thislocation is just one example, and it is contemplated herein that thepocket 124 may be positioned at other locations on the front right torsoportion 110 a or the front left torso portion 110 b. As explainedfurther below, in one example the pocket 124 may be used to stow thermalinsulation inserts when not in use. In example aspects, the pocket 124may be removably attached to the front right torso portion 110 a using,for example, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, adhesives, and thelike.

The garment 100 may also include pocket 126 located on a lower aspect ofthe front left torso portion 110 b. It is contemplated herein that thepocket 126 may alternatively be located on a lower aspect of the frontright torso portion 110 a. The pocket 126 includes one or morereversible closure mechanisms, such as zippers, that allow access to aninterior of the pocket 126 when open. As explained further below, in oneexample aspect, the garment 100 may be folded and stowed within thepocket 126 when not in use. As such, the pocket 126 may be sized toadequately accommodate the stowed garment 100.

With respect to the hood 115, the base of the hood 115 may be at leastpartially attached to the neck opening 114 using a first reversibleclosure mechanism 128 and a second reversible closure mechanism 130positioned respectively on the left and right aspects of the base of thehood 115. Each of the first and second reversible closure mechanisms 128and 130 includes a slider pull that it positioned in the front when thefirst and second reversible closure mechanisms 128 and 130 are in aclosed state and the hood 115 is fully attached to the neck opening 114.As explained below, the hood 115 may be partially detached from the neckopening 114 by tensioning the slider pulls toward the back torso portion112 of the garment 100.

With respect to FIG. 2, the back torso portion 112 of the garment 100includes a vent structure 129 located along a vertical midline of thegarment 100. The vent structure 129, in one example aspect, is formedbetween opposing edges of two back panels, such as back panel 112 a andback panel 112 b that form, at least in part, the back torso portion112. A reversible closure mechanism 131 reversibly couples the backpanel 112 a to the back panel 112 b along the vertical midline. When inan open state, a portion of the back panel 112 a is decoupled from aportion of the back panel 112 b to form an open communication pathbetween an exterior of the garment 100 and an interior of the garment100, thus allowing heat produced by a wearer to dissipate. When in aclosed state, the portion of the back panel 112 a is coupled to theportion of the back panel 112 b. Positioning the vent structure 129along the vertical midline of the back torso portion 112 may be based onheat maps of a human body that indicate that the central back torso areaof a human is a high heat producing area.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the garment 100 with the second sleeve 120in a raised position to better illustrate features associate with theside of the garment 100. A view of the other side of the garment 100would be similar. A pocket 312 is shown on the side of the garment 100,where the pocket 312 extends vertically from an area adjacent (e.g.,from about 0.5 cm to about 15 cm) to an inferior edge of the secondsleeve 120 where it attaches to the front and back torso portions 110and 112 of the garment 100 to an area adjacent (e.g., from about 0.2 cmto about 15 cm) to the waist opening 116 of the garment 100. The pocket312 may be formed by positioning an outer panel of material adjacent toan inner panel of material. In example aspects, the inner panel ofmaterial may be a mesh material as shown in FIG. 3 to facilitateventilation in this area. The pocket 312 includes a pocket opening 314positioned adjacent (e.g., from about 0.5 cm to about 15 cm) to theinferior edge of the second sleeve 120, where the pocket opening 314provides access to the pocket 312. The pocket opening 314, in exampleaspects, may include an elastic band to help tension the pocket opening314 to a semi-closed state when not in use and minimize distractions toa wearer. A similar pocket may be located on the opposite side of thegarment 100 and may be positioned similarly to the pocket 312. Asexplained further below, the pocket 312 may be used to stow the secondsleeve 120 when the second sleeve 120 is not in use. Positioning thepocket 312 such that it is located on an outer-facing surface of thegarment 100 may be useful when stowing sleeves that may be wet withprecipitation or snow thereby preventing the moisture from contactingthe wearer as may happen if the pocket 312 were located on theinner-facing surface of the garment 100.

FIG. 3 further depicts a reversible closure mechanism 316, such as azipper that extends partially around the circumference of the proximalend of the second sleeve 120 where the second sleeve 120 is joined tothe front and back torso portions 110 and 112. More particularly, thereversible closure mechanism 316 includes a first end positioned on aback aspect of the proximal end of the second sleeve 120 and a secondend positioned on a front aspect of the proximal end of the secondsleeve 120. An intervening portion of the reversible closure mechanism316 extends around a superior aspect of the proximal end of the secondsleeve 120. In example aspects, a slider pull may be positioned at thefirst end of the reversible closure mechanism 316 when the reversibleclosure mechanism 316 is in a closed state, and the slider pull may bepositioned at the second end of the reversible closure mechanism whenthe reversible closure mechanism 316 is in a fully open state althoughan opposite configuration is contemplated herein. In example aspects,the reversible closure mechanism 316 does not extend entirely around thecircumference of the proximal end of the second sleeve 120 such that thesecond sleeve 120 remains permanently attached to the front and backtorso portions 110 and 112 at an inferior portion 121 of the proximalend of the second sleeve 120. The permanent attachment of the inferiorportion 121 may be through stitching, bonding, welding, adhesives, andthe like. A similar reversible closure mechanism may be associated withthe first sleeve 118. The reversible closure mechanism 316 may be usedto partially detach the second sleeve 120 from the front and back torsoportions 110 and 112 before stowing the second sleeve 120 in the pocket312. FIG. 3 additionally depicts a reversible closure mechanism 310,such as a zipper, on the pocket 126, where the reversible closuremechanism 310 may be used to open and close the pocket 126.

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of an inner-facing surface of the garment 100.First with respect to the hood 115, the hood 115 includes the firstreversible closure mechanism 128 positioned at a left aspect of the baseof the hood 115 and additionally includes the second reversible closuremechanism 130 positioned at the right aspect of the base of the hood115. The first and second reversible closure mechanisms 128 and 130 areshown in an open state with the respective slider pulls positioned at aback aspect of the hood 115. In the open state, the base of the hood 115is partially detached from the neck opening 114. A remaining portion 412of the hood 115 at a central back aspect of the hood 115 is permanentlyattached to the neck opening 114 by way of, for example, stitching,bonding, adhesives, and the like. A pocket 410 is located on theinner-facing surface of the back torso portion 112 of the garment 100where the pocket 410 has a pocket opening 411 that aligns or iscoincident with the neck opening 114. A lower edge of the pocket 410 maybe spaced from the pocket opening 411 by a distance of from about 10 cmto about 30 cm. The pocket 410 may be used to stow the hood 115 when notin use as explained further below.

The inner-facing surface of the garment 100 includes a series of pockets414, 416, 418, and 420 sized and configured to respectively housethermal insulation inserts 424, 426, 428, and 430. The pocket 414 ispositioned on the inner-facing surface of the front right torso portion110 a, the pocket 416 is positioned on the inner-facing surface of theback panel 112 b, the pocket 418 is positioned on the inner-facingsurface of the back panel 112 a, and the pocket 420 is positioned on theinner-facing surface of the front left torso portion 110 b. Aninnermost-facing layer of the pockets 414, 416, 418, and 420 may beformed from a mesh material 422, a portion of which is shown for each ofthe pockets. Forming the innermost-facing layer of the pockets 414, 416,418, and 420 from the mesh material 422 facilitates that transfer orpassage of heated air produced by a wearer to the thermal insulationinserts 424, 426, 428, and 430 which help to store or trap the heatedair.

The pocket 414 includes a pocket opening 413, the pocket 416 includes apocket opening 415, the pocket 418 includes a pocket opening 417, andthe pocket 420 includes a pocket opening 419. Each of the pocketopenings 413, 415, 417 and 419 is located superior to a bottom edge ofthe respective pockets 414, 416, 418, and 420 and generally adjacent(e.g., from about 10 cm to about 40 cm) to the neck opening 114. Asshown in the magnified view of the pocket opening 413, each of thepocket openings 413, 415, 417, and 419 may include a loop structure 432secured to a textile edge forming the respective opening. The loopstructure 432 may be used to receive a strap associated with the thermalinsulation inserts 424, 426, 428, and 430 to help secure the thermalinsulation inserts 424, 426, 428, and 430 and prevent them from shiftingor displacing downward when positioned within the pockets 414, 416, 418,and 420. The positioning of the pockets 414, 416, 418, and 420 isillustrative and it is contemplated herein that the garment 100 mayinclude additional pockets of various sizes and shapes and located atdifferent portions of the garment 100 including the first and secondsleeves 118 and 120 and the hood 115, where the additional pockets maybe used to house various sizes and shapes of thermal insulation inserts.

FIG. 5 depicts an isolated view of the thermal insulation insert 424,and FIG. 6 depicts a cross-section of the thermal insulation insert 424taken along cut line 6-6. The description provided for the thermalinsulation insert 424 also applies to the thermal insulation inserts426, 428, and 430. The thermal insulation insert 424 includes a firstend 510, a second end 512, a first side 514 extending between the firstend 510 and the second end 512, and a second side 516 extending betweenthe first end 510 and the second end 512, where the second side 516 isopposite the first side 514. In example aspects, the thermal insulationinsert 424 may be generally rectangular shaped such that the first side514 and the second side 516 have a greater length than the first end 510and the second end 512. However, it is contemplated herein that thethermal insulation inserts may have different sizes and shapes than thatshown where the size and shape of a particular thermal insulation insertmay be based upon a desired positioning of the thermal insulation insertin the garment 100. For instance, a thermal insulation insert configuredto be positioned in the hood 115 to cover an ear area of a wearer may begenerally circular in shape while thermal insulation inserts configuredto be positioned adjacent to torso portions of a wearer may have therectangular shape of the insert 424.

The cross-section of the thermal insulation insert 424 shown in FIG. 6illustrates that the thermal insulation insert 424 includes a firsttextile layer 526 that forms a first surface of the thermal insulationinsert 424, a second textile layer 528 that forms a second oppositesurface of the thermal insulation insert 424 and a thermally insulatingfill material 530 positioned within a space formed between the firsttextile layer 526 and the second textile layer 528. In example aspects,the first and second textile layers 526 and 528 may comprise a tightlywoven construction to help prevent the fibers and/or down of thethermally insulating fill material 530 from penetrating the first andsecond textile layers 526 and 528. Other constructions such as knit ornonwoven constructions are contemplated herein. In further exampleaspects, the first and second textile layers 526 and 528 may be formedfrom a lightweight fabric (e.g., from about 30 grams per square meter(gsm) to about 150 gsm) or an ultra-lightweight fabric (e.g., from about10 gsm to about 100 gsm) to allow for easy folding or rolling of thethermal insulation insert 424. The first and second textile layers 526and 528 may comprise separate layers in one example aspect, where theseparate layers are attached to each other at, for instance, the sidesand ends of the thermal insulation insert 424. It is alternativelycontemplated that the first and second textile layers 526 and 528 mayintegrally extend from each other to form a generally seamlessconstruction for the thermal insulation insert 424.

A closure mechanism, referenced generally by the numeral 518 ispositioned at the first end 510 of the thermal insulation insert 424. Itis contemplated herein that the closure mechanism 518 may be positionedat other locations on the thermal insulation insert 424 including, forexample, the second end 512. In example aspects, the closure mechanism518 includes a male component 520, a female component 522 complementaryto the male component 520, and a strap 524 extending between the malecomponent 520 and the female component 522. In example aspects, the malecomponent 520 may be located at a first end of the strap 524 that isattached to for instance, the first textile layer 526 of the thermalinsulation insert 424, and the female component 522 may be located atthe second free end of the strap 524, although an opposite configurationis contemplated herein. The male component 520 and the female component522 may include any number of complementary fastening systems including,for example, a stud of a snap and a socket of a snap, a hook componentof a hook-and-loop fastening system and a loop component of thehook-and-loop fastening system, a button and a receiving slit, and thelike.

In one aspect, the closure mechanism 518 may be used to secure thethermal insulation insert 424 to the loop structure 432 positioned atthe pocket opening 413 when the thermal insulation insert 424 ispositioned within the pocket 414. In another aspect, and as shown inFIG. 7, the thermal insulation insert 424 may be folded or rolled (e.g.,the second end 512 may be rolled toward the first end 510), and thestrap 524 may be positioned to extend around a circumference of therolled thermal insulation insert 424. In this configuration, the malecomponent 520 is mated to the female component 522 to maintain thethermal insulation insert 424 in a rolled form. As explained furtherbelow, the rolled or folded thermal insulation insert 424 may then bestowed within, for example, the pocket 124 of the upper-body garment100.

FIGS. 8-18 depict various ways in which the upper-body garment 100 maybe manipulated and/or adjusted to attain a desired level of protectionfrom the elements and/or to provide a desired level of warmth. FIGS. 8-9depict a wearer 810 removing the second sleeve 120 of the upper-bodygarment 100 and stowing the second sleeve 120 in the pocket 312. Forexample, FIG. 8 illustrates the wearer 810 beginning to remove his armfrom the second sleeve 120 after partially uncoupling the proximal endof the second sleeve 120 by using the reversible closure mechanism 316.In one example, the wearer 810 may grasp the slider pull positioned atthe first end of the reversible closure mechanism 316 and exert tensionon the slider pull over a superior aspect of the proximal end of thesecond sleeve 120 and toward a front aspect of the proximal end of thesecond sleeve 120 to partially detach the proximal end of the secondsleeve 120 from the front and back torso portions 110 and 112. Thesecond sleeve 120 remains attached to the front and back torso portions110 and 112 at the inferior portion 121 of the proximal end of thesecond sleeve 120. Once partially detached, and as shown in FIG. 9, thewearer 810 may insert the second sleeve 120 into the pocket 312 locatedon the outer-facing surface of the garment 100.

Partially detaching and stowing the first and second sleeves 118 and 120enables the wearer 810 to convert the upper-body garment 100 from ajacket configuration to a vest configuration which may be more suitablefor warmer weather conditions. Maintaining a permanent attachmentbetween the inferior portion 121 of the proximal end of the first andsecond sleeves 118 and 120 and the front and back torso portions 110 and112 prevents inadvertent misplacement of the first and second sleeves118 and 120, and positioning the pocket 132 on the outer-facing surfaceof the upper-body garment 100, as opposed to the inner-facing surface ofthe garment 100 prevents any moisture that may be present on the firstand second sleeves 118 and 120 from contacting the wearer's torso.

FIGS. 10 and 11 depict the wearer 810 partially detaching and stowingthe hood 115. In FIG. 10, the wearer 810 partially detaches the rightand left aspects of the base of the hood 115 by grasping, for instance,slider pulls associated with the first and second reversible closuremechanisms 128 and 130 and pulling the slider pulls in a front-to-backdirection. As mentioned, a portion 412 of the base of the hood 115remains permanently attached to a back aspect of the neck opening 114.FIG. 11 depicts the wearer 810 tucking the hood 115 into the pocket 410located on an inner-facing surface of the garment 100, where the pocketopening 411 is generally aligned with the neck opening 114 of thegarment 100. Being able to easily stow the hood 115 in the pocket 410,as opposed to letting the hood 115 drape over the outer-facing surfaceof the back torso portion 112 of the garment 100, prevents the hood 115from becoming a distraction when no longer worn.

FIGS. 12-15 depict the wearer removing and stowing the thermalinsulation insert 424 from the pocket 414. In FIG. 12, the wearer 810grasps the first end 510 of the thermal insulation insert 424 and beginspulling the insert 424 out of the pocket 414. This may occur after thewearer 810 decouples the closure mechanism 518 of the thermal insulationinsert 424 from the loop structure 432 positioned at the pocket opening413. In FIG. 13, the wearer 810 rolls or folds the thermal insulationinsert 424. For instance, the wearer 810 may roll the second end 512 ofthe insert 424 toward the first end 510 so that after the rolling iscompleted, the first end 510 and the second end 512 are adjacent to eachother or are positioned next to each other. After rolling, the wearermay wrap the strap 524 around the thermal insulation insert 424 andcouple the male component 520 and the female component 522 together tomaintain the insert 424 in a rolled state.

FIG. 14 depicts the wearer 810 optionally positioning the rolled thermalinsulation insert 424 in the pocket 124. This may be done while thepocket 124 is still attached to the garment 100, or it may be done afterthe wearer 810 has detached the pocket 124 from the garment 100. Thepocket 124 may include a reversible closure mechanism 1512, such as azipper, to securely maintain the thermal insulation insert 424 withinthe pocket 124 after being stowed. The pocket 124 is sized to stow anumber of inserts. For instance, the pocket 124 may be sized to stow allof the thermal insulation inserts 424, 426, 428, and 430. FIG. 15depicts the wearer 810 optionally removing the pocket 124 from thegarment 100. In example aspects, the pocket 124 may be removablyattached to the garment 100 by a coupling system 1510 such as, forinstance, a hook-and-loop system, a releasable adhesive, a slidermechanism, and the like. The ability of the wearer 810 to remove some orall of the thermal insulation inserts 424, 426, 428, and 430 from thegarment 100 enables the wearer 810 to provide a customized level ofinsulation to the garment 100 in areas where it is needed.

When the wearer 810 wishes to increase the insulation level of thegarment 100, the wearer may remove the thermal insulation insert 424from the pocket 124, decouple the male and the female components 520 and522 of the closure mechanism 518, and unfold or unroll the thermalinsulation insert 424 so that the first end 510 is spaced apart from thesecond end 512 by an entire length of the first and second sides 514 and516 of the thermal insulation insert 424, such as seen in FIG. 5. Thewearer 810 may then position the thermal insulation insert 424 withinthe pocket 414 and couple the closure mechanism 518 to the loopstructure 432.

FIG. 16 depicts the wearer 810 opening the vent structure 129 to providean open communication path from an interior of the upper-body garment100 to an exterior of the upper-body garment 100. In example aspects,the wearer 810 may grasp a slider pull associated with the reversibleclosure mechanism 131 and pull in a downward direction to open the ventstructure 129. Alternatively, the reversible closure mechanism 131 maybe configured such that the wearer 810 may exert the pull in an upwarddirection to open the vent structure 129. The wearer 810 may open thevent structure 129 as needed to vent the garment 100 and cool the wearer810.

FIGS. 17 and 18 depict the wearer 810 stowing the garment 100. Inexample aspects, and as shown in FIG. 17, the wearer 810 may doff theupper-body garment 100 and invert the pocket 126 while positioning thegarment 100 within the inverted pocket 126. FIG. 18 depicts the pocket126 with the stowed garment 100. The pocket 126 includes the reversibleclosure mechanism 310 so that the stowed garment 100 may remain securelywithin the pocket 126.

It is contemplated herein that features described for the upper-bodygarment 100 may be applied to, for instance, a lower-body garment suchas a pant or short. FIG. 19 depicts a front view of a lower-body garment1900 that includes a lower torso portion 1910 having a waist opening1912, a first leg portion 1914 having a first leg opening 1916, and asecond leg portion 1918 having a second leg opening 1920.

In example aspects, the lower-body garment 1900 may include a firstpocket 1922 and a second pocket 1924 positioned on an inner-facingsurface of the lower-body garment 1900 as indicated by the dashed lines.The first and second pockets 1922 and 1924 are shown positioned over ananterior thigh area of the lower-body garment 1900. The first pocket1922 may be used to house a first removable thermal insulation insert1926, and the second pocket 1924 may be used to house a second removablethermal insulation insert 1928. Similar to the system described withrespect to the garment 100, the first and second thermal insulationinserts 1926 and 1928 may include a fastening mechanism that reversiblycouples the first and second thermal insulation inserts 1926 and 1928 toa loop structure associated with each of the first and second pockets1922 and 1924 as shown. The first and second thermal insulation inserts1926 and 1928 may be removed when less insulation/warmth is desired,folded or rolled, and stowed within, for example, a detachable pocketstructure 1930 located on the lower-body garment 1900. The location ofthe first and second pockets 1922 and 1924 and the associated first andsecond thermal insulation inserts 1926 and 1928 is illustrative only,and it is contemplated herein that the lower-body garment 1900 mayinclude additional pockets and/or thermal insulation inserts positionedat other locations on the garment 1900. Additionally, the location ofthe detachable pocket structure 1930 is illustrative only and otherlocations of the pocket structure 1930 on the lower-body garment 1900are contemplated herein.

FIG. 20 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 2000 of using,for example, the upper-body garment 100 or the lower-body garment 1900.At a step 2010, a thermal insulation insert, such as the thermalinsulation insert 424 is removed from a pocket, such as the pocket 414,located on an inner-facing surface of the garment. At a step 2012, thethermal insulation insert is folded or rolled so that a first end of theinsert is positioned adjacent to a second end of the insert. At a step2014, a strap, such as the strap 524, of a closure mechanism, such asthe closure mechanism 518, that is positioned at one of the first end orthe second end of the thermal insulation insert is manipulated so thatit encircles the folded thermal insulation insert. At a step 2016, amale component of the closure mechanism, such as the male component 520is secured to a female component of the closure mechanism, such as thefemale component 522. The method 2000 may include additional steps suchas stowing the folded thermal insulation insert within a pocket, such asthe pocket 124, positioned on the garment, and, optionally, detachingthe pocket from the garment.

The method 2000 may be executed when a wearer wishes to decrease thelevel of warmth and/or insulation of the garment. When the wearer wishesto increase the level of warmth and/or insulation of the garment, thewearer may release the male component from the female component of thefolded thermal insulation insert's closure mechanism, unfold the thermalinsulation insert so that the first end and the second end of the insertare spaced apart from one another by an entire length of the thermalinsulation insert, and position the unfolded thermal insulation insertwithin the pocket located on the inner-facing surface of the garment.The wearer may additionally extend the strap of the closure mechanismthrough the loop structure positioned at the pocket opening of thepocket and mate the male and female components of the closure mechanismso that the insert does not shift or settle within the pocket.

The following clauses represent example aspects of concepts contemplatedherein. Any one of the following clauses may be combined in a multipledependent manner to depend from one or more other clauses. Further, anycombination of dependent clauses (clauses that explicitly depend from aprevious clause) may be combined while staying within the scope ofaspects contemplated herein. The following clauses are illustrative innature and are not limiting.

Clause 1. A thermal insulation insert comprising: a first textile layer;a second textile layer secured to the first textile layer to form thethermal insulation insert, the thermal insulation insert having a firstend and a second end opposite the first end; a thermally insulating fillmaterial contained within a space between the first textile layer andthe second textile layer; and a closure mechanism positioned at one ofthe first end or the second end of the thermal insulation insert, theclosure mechanism comprising a male component, a female component, and astrap extending between the male component and the female component.

Clause 2. The thermal insulation insert according to clause 1, whereinthe male component comprises a stud of a snap, and wherein the femalecomponent comprises a socket of the snap.

Clause 3. The thermal insulation insert according to clause 1, whereinthe male component comprises a hook component of a hook-and-loop system,and wherein the female component comprises a loop component of thehook-and-loop system.

Clause 4. The thermal insulation insert according to any of clauses 1through 3, further comprising: a first side extending between the firstend and the second end; and a second side extending between the firstend and the second end, wherein a length of the first side and thesecond side is greater than a length of the first end and the secondend.

Clause 5. The thermal insulation insert according to any of clauses 1through 4, wherein the thermally insulating fill material comprises oneor more of synthetic fill and down.

Clause 6. The thermal insulation insert according to any of clauses 1through 5, wherein each of the first textile layer and the secondtextile layer comprise a woven construction.

Clause 7. A garment comprising: a pocket positioned on the garment; anda thermal insulation insert removably positioned within the pocket, thethermal insulation insert comprising: a first textile layer; a secondtextile layer secured to the first textile layer to form the thermalinsulation insert, the thermal insulation insert having a first end anda second end opposite the first end; a thermally insulating fillmaterial contained within a space between the first textile layer andthe second textile layer; and a closure mechanism positioned at one ofthe first end or the second end of the thermal insulation insert, theclosure mechanism comprising a male component, a female component, and astrap extending between the male component and the female component.

Clause 8. The garment according to clause 7, wherein the pocket islocated on an inner-facing surface of the garment.

Clause 9. The garment according to clause 8, wherein an innermost-facinglayer of the pocket is formed from a mesh material.

Clause 10. The garment according to any of clauses 7 through 9, whereina pocket opening of the pocket includes a loop structure to which theclosure mechanism of the thermal insulation insert is adapted to beremovably coupled.

Clause 11. The garment according to any of clauses 7 through 10, whereinthe garment comprises an upper-body garment, and wherein the pocket islocated on a torso portion of the upper-body garment.

Clause 12. The garment according to clause 11, wherein the pocket islocated on an inner-facing surface of the torso portion of theupper-body garment.

Clause 13. The garment according to any of clauses 11 through 12,wherein the upper-body garment further comprises: two or more additionalpockets located on the inner-facing surface of the torso portion of theupper-body garment; and two or more additional thermal insulationinserts each removably positioned within a respective pocket of the twoor more additional pockets.

Clause 14. The garment according to any of clauses 11 through 13,wherein a pocket opening of the pocket is positioned adjacent to a neckopening of the upper-body garment, and wherein the pocket extends in avertical direction toward a waist opening of the upper-body garment.

Clause 15. A method of using the garment of clause 7, the methodcomprising: removing the thermal insulation insert from the pocket ofthe garment; folding the thermal insulation insert so that the first endof the thermal insulation insert is positioned adjacent to the secondend of the thermal insulation insert; positioning the strap of theclosure mechanism so that it encircles the folded thermal insulationinsert; and securing the male component to the female component of theclosure mechanism.

Clause 16. The method of using the garment according to clause 15,further comprising stowing the folded thermal insulation insert within asecond pocket located on the garment.

Clause 17. The method of using the garment according to clause 16,wherein the second pocket is removably attached to the garment.

Clause 18. The method of using the garment according to any of clauses16 through 17, wherein the second pocket includes a reversible closuremechanism adapted to reversibly close a pocket opening of the secondpocket.

Clause 19. The method of using the garment according to any of clauses15 through 18, further comprising: releasing the male component from thefemale component of the closure mechanism; unfolding the thermalinsulation insert such that the first end of the thermal insulationinsert is spaced apart from the second end of the thermal insulationinsert by an entire length of the thermal insulation insert; andremovably positioning the unfolded thermal insulation insert within thepocket of the garment.

Clause 20. The method of using the garment according to clause 19,further comprising removably coupling the closure mechanism to a loopstructure located at a pocket opening of the pocket once the thermalinsulation insert is removably positioned within the pocket of thegarment.

Clause 21. An upper-body garment comprising: a torso portion defining aneck opening and a waist opening opposite the neck opening; a hoodextending from the neck opening of the torso portion; a first hoodreversible closure mechanism releasably securing a left aspect of a baseof the hood to the neck opening; and a second hood reversible closuremechanism releasably securing a right aspect of the base of the hood tothe neck opening, wherein a back aspect of the base of the hood ispermanently attaching to the neck opening.

Clause 22. The upper-body garment according to clause 21, furthercomprising a hood pocket located on an inner-facing surface of a backaspect of the torso portion, the hood pocket including a hood pocketopening that is coincident with the neck opening, wherein the hoodpocket is useable to stow the hood.

Clause 23. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 21 through22, wherein the first hood reversible closure mechanism includes a firstslider pull positioned at the front aspect of the base of the hood whenthe first hood reversible closure mechanism is in a closed state, andwherein the second hood reversible closure mechanism includes a secondslider pull positioned at the front aspect of the base of the hood whenthe second hood reversible closure mechanism is in a closed state.

Clause 24. The upper-body garment according to clause 23, wherein thefirst slider pull is positioned toward the back aspect of the base ofthe hood when the first hood reversible closure mechanism is in an openstate, and wherein the second slider pull is positioned toward the backaspect of the base of the hood when the second hood reversible closuremechanism is in an open state.

Clause 25. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 21 through24, further comprising: a first sleeve extending from the torso portion,wherein the first sleeve includes a first sleeve reversible closuremechanism that at least partially attaches a proximal end of the firstsleeve to the torso portion; and a second sleeve extending from thetorso portion, wherein the second sleeve includes a second sleevereversible closure mechanism that at least partially attaches a proximalend of the second sleeve to the torso portion.

Clause 26. The upper-body garment according to clause 25, wherein eachof the first sleeve reversible closure mechanism and the second sleevereversible closure mechanism includes a first end positioned at a backaspect of the proximal end of the respective first sleeve and the secondsleeve, a second end positioned at a front aspect of the proximal end ofthe respective first sleeve and the second sleeve, and an interveningportion extending from the first end to the second end along a superioraspect of the proximal end of the respective first sleeve and the secondsleeve.

Clause 27. The upper-body garment according to clause 26, wherein aslider pull is positioned at the first end of the respective firstsleeve reversible closure mechanism and the second sleeve reversibleclosure mechanism when the first sleeve reversible closure mechanism andthe second sleeve reversible closure mechanism are in a closed state.

Clause 28. The upper-body garment according to clause 27, wherein theslider pull is positioned at the second end of the respective firstsleeve reversible closure mechanism and the second sleeve reversibleclosure mechanism when the first sleeve reversible closure mechanism andthe second sleeve reversible closure mechanism are in an open state.

Clause 29. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 26 through28, wherein an inferior portion of the respective first sleeve and thesecond sleeve is permanently attached to the torso portion, and whereinthe inferior portion of the respective first sleeve and second sleeveextends between the first end and the second end of the respective firstsleeve reversible closure mechanism and the second sleeve reversibleclosure mechanism.

Clause 30. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 25 through29, further comprising a first sleeve pocket located inferior to thefirst sleeve along a first side of the torso portion; and a secondsleeve pocket located inferior to the second sleeve along a second sideof the torso portion, wherein the first sleeve pocket and the secondsleeve pocket are useable for stowing the first sleeve and the secondsleeve when not in use.

Clause 31. The upper-body garment according to clause 30, wherein eachof the first sleeve pocket and the second sleeve pocket are located onan outer-facing surface of the respective first side and the second sideof the torso portion.

Clause 32. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 30 through31, wherein each of the first sleeve pocket and the second sleeve pocketinclude a sleeve pocket opening positioned inferior to the respectivefirst sleeve and the second sleeve and further positioned superior to abottom of the first sleeve pocket and the second sleeve pocket.

Clause 33. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 21 through32, wherein a back of the torso portion includes a first back panel anda second back panel, wherein a vent structure is formed between opposingedges of the first back panel and the second back panel at a centralvertical midline of the torso portion, and wherein the vent structurecomprises an opening that forms a fluid communication path between aninterior and an exterior of the upper-body garment.

Clause 34. The upper-body garment according to clause 33, wherein thevent structure includes a vent structure reversible closure mechanismconfigured to transition the vent structure from a closed state to anopen state.

Clause 35. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 21 through34, further comprising a thermal insulation insert pocket positioned onthe upper-body garment; and a thermal insulation insert removablypositioned within the thermal insulation insert pocket, the thermalinsulation insert comprising: a first textile layer; a second textilelayer secured to the first textile layer to form the thermal insulationinsert, the thermal insulation insert having a first end and a secondend opposite the first end; a thermally insulating fill materialcontained within a space between the first textile layer and the secondtextile layer; and a closure mechanism positioned at one of the firstend or the second end of the thermal insulation insert, the closuremechanism comprising a male component, a female component, and a strapextending between the male component and the female component.

Clause 36. The upper-body garment according to clause 35, wherein thethermal insulation insert pocket is located on an inner-facing surfaceof the upper-body garment.

Clause 37. The upper-body garment according to clause 36, wherein aninnermost-facing layer of the thermal insulation insert pocket is formedfrom a mesh material.

Clause 38. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 35 through37, wherein a pocket opening of the thermal insulation insert pocketincludes a loop structure to which the closure mechanism of the thermalinsulation insert is adapted to be removably coupled.

Clause 39. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 35 through38, wherein the thermal insulation insert pocket is located on the torsoportion of the upper-body garment.

Clause 40. The upper-body garment according to clause 39, wherein thethermal insulation insert pocket is located on an inner-facing surfaceof the torso portion of the upper-body garment.

Clause 41. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 35 through40, wherein the upper-body garment further comprises: two or moreadditional thermal insulation insert pockets located on the inner-facingsurface of the torso portion of the upper-body garment; and two or moreadditional thermal insulation inserts each removably positioned within arespective thermal insulation insert pocket of the two or moreadditional thermal insulation insert pockets.

Clause 42. The upper-body garment according to any of clauses 35 through41, wherein a pocket opening of the thermal insulation insert pocket ispositioned adjacent to the neck opening of the upper-body garment, andwherein the thermal insulation insert pocket extends in a verticaldirection toward the waist opening of the upper-body garment.

Aspects of the present disclosure have been described with the intent tobe illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative aspects will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope.A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing theaforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Notall steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in thespecific order described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermal insulation insert comprising: a firsttextile layer; a second textile layer secured to the first textile layerto form the thermal insulation insert, the thermal insulation inserthaving a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a thermallyinsulating fill material contained within a space between the firsttextile layer and the second textile layer; and a closure mechanismpositioned at one of the first end or the second end of the thermalinsulation insert, the closure mechanism comprising a male component, afemale component, and a strap extending between the male component andthe female component.
 2. The thermal insulation insert of claim 1,wherein the male component comprises a stud of a snap, and wherein thefemale component comprises a socket of the snap.
 3. The thermalinsulation insert of claim 1, wherein the male component comprises ahook component of a hook-and-loop system, and wherein the femalecomponent comprises a loop component of the hook-and-loop system.
 4. Thethermal insulation insert of claim 1, further comprising: a first sideextending between the first end and the second end; and a second sideextending between the first end and the second end, wherein a length ofthe first side and the second side is greater than a length of the firstend and the second end.
 5. The thermal insulation insert of claim 1,wherein the thermally insulating fill material comprises one or more ofsynthetic fill and down.
 6. The thermal insulation insert of claim 1,wherein each of the first textile layer and the second textile layercomprise a woven construction.
 7. A garment comprising: a pocketpositioned on the garment; and a thermal insulation insert removablypositioned within the pocket, the thermal insulation insert comprising:a first textile layer; a second textile layer secured to the firsttextile layer to form the thermal insulation insert, the thermalinsulation insert having a first end and a second end opposite the firstend; a thermally insulating fill material contained within a spacebetween the first textile layer and the second textile layer; and aclosure mechanism positioned at one of the first end or the second endof the thermal insulation insert, the closure mechanism comprising amale component, a female component, and a strap extending between themale component and the female component.
 8. The garment of claim 7,wherein the pocket is located on an inner-facing surface of the garment.9. The garment of claim 8, wherein an innermost-facing layer of thepocket is formed from a mesh material.
 10. The garment of claim 7,wherein a pocket opening of the pocket includes a loop structure towhich the closure mechanism of the thermal insulation insert is adaptedto be removably coupled.
 11. The garment of claim 7, wherein the garmentcomprises an upper-body garment, and wherein the pocket is located on atorso portion of the upper-body garment.
 12. The garment of claim 11,wherein the pocket is located on an inner-facing surface of the torsoportion of the upper-body garment.
 13. The garment of claim 12, whereinthe upper-body garment further comprises: two or more additional pocketslocated on the inner-facing surface of the torso portion of theupper-body garment; and two or more additional thermal insulationinserts each removably positioned within a respective pocket of the twoor more additional pockets.
 14. The garment of claim 11, wherein apocket opening of the pocket is positioned adjacent to a neck opening ofthe upper-body garment, and wherein the pocket extends in a verticaldirection toward a waist opening of the upper-body garment.
 15. A methodof using the garment of claim 7, the method comprising: removing thethermal insulation insert from the pocket of the garment; folding thethermal insulation insert so that the first end of the thermalinsulation insert is positioned adjacent to the second end of thethermal insulation insert; positioning the strap of the closuremechanism so that it encircles the folded thermal insulation insert; andsecuring the male component to the female component of the closuremechanism.
 16. The method of using the garment of claim 15, furthercomprising stowing the folded thermal insulation insert within a secondpocket located on the garment.
 17. The method of using the garment ofclaim 16, wherein the second pocket is removably attached to thegarment.
 18. The method of using the garment of claim 16, wherein thesecond pocket includes a reversible closure mechanism adapted toreversibly close a pocket opening of the second pocket.
 19. The methodof using the garment of claim 15, further comprising: releasing the malecomponent from the female component of the closure mechanism; unfoldingthe thermal insulation insert such that the first end of the thermalinsulation insert is spaced apart from the second end of the thermalinsulation insert by an entire length of the thermal insulation insert;and removably positioning the unfolded thermal insulation insert withinthe pocket of the garment.
 20. The method of using the garment of claim19, further comprising removably coupling the closure mechanism to aloop structure located at a pocket opening of the pocket once thethermal insulation insert is removably positioned within the pocket ofthe garment.